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For the orthogonal complex line flag manifold, take $x,y$ to be the first Chern classes of the duals of its two tautological lines, both in degree two. The Whitney sum formula for Chern classes gives $c_i(L^{\perp })=x^i$. The projective bundle definition of Chern classes gives the second relation, and Leray-Hirsch theorem gives the integral basis $x^i{y}^j$ with $0\le i<n$, $0\le j<n-1$. Polynomial division by the monic relation in $y$ proves that there are no further relations. Multiplying that relation by $y-x$ also gives $y^n=0$.

The base class $t$ and coordinate classes $x_i$ all have degree one. Pullback of the mod-two intersection pairing of the Klein bottle gives $x_i^2=t{x}_i$. The Leray-Hirsch theorem gives the basis consisting of square-free products $x_I$ and $t{x}_I$. Thus the additive dimensions match those of a torus, but the degree-one squares differ for $n\ge 2$.

Use integral cohomology and let $k\ge 1$. On the projective bundle $Y=\mathbb{P}(E)$ define the complex tautological line bundlePut $t=e(\mathcal{L})\in H^2(Y;\mathbb{Z})$, using the canonical complex orientation. On each fibre, $t$ is the Euler class of the tautological line over ${\mathbb{CP}}^{k-1}$, so $1,t,\dots ,t^{k-1}$ restrict to an integral basis of its cohomology.

Here is the finite-cover Leray-Hirsch theorem proof in this case. For each open set $U\subseteq X$, defineIf $E$ is trivial on $U$, its projective bundle is $U\times {\mathbb{CP}}^{k-1}$ and $\mathcal{L}$ is pulled back from the tautological line on the second factor. The Künneth theorem makes ${\Phi }_U$ an isomorphism, since the fibre has finite free integral cohomology. The same holds for every open subset of $U$.

Compactness of $X$ provides a finite trivializing cover $U_1,\dots ,U_N$. Induct on its size. If the result holds on $V=U_1\cup \cdots \cup U_{N-1}$, it holds on $U_N$ and on $V\cap U_N$, both lying in a trivializing chart. Form the diagram of Mayer–Vietoris sequences for the base, with the finitely many degree shifts on the left, and the total space on the right. Naturality of pullback and multiplication by the global even-degree classes $t^i$ makes the diagram commute. The Five lemma gives the isomorphism on $V\cup U_N$. ThusThis is the claimed free module statement, with its graded degree shifts made explicit.

The module basis expresses $t^k$ uniquely using the lower powers, with homogeneous coefficients. Define the Chern classes $c_j(E)\in H^{2j}(X;\mathbb{Z})$ by the unique relationThe pullbacks are suppressed when $f$ is regarded as a polynomial over $H^{\ast }(X)$. Evaluation at $t$ gives a surjective map $H^{\ast }(X)[T]\to H^{\ast }(Y)$. Since $f(T)$ is monic, monic polynomial division over a ring writes any polynomial as $q(T)f(T)+r(T)$ with degree of $r$ below $k$. If its evaluation is zero, module independence forces every coefficient of $r$ to vanish. Hence the kernel is exactly the ideal generated by $f$, provingThe even-degree coefficients are central in the graded commutative algebra, so this division and ideal statement also apply when the base has odd-degree cohomology. Uniqueness of the coefficients proves their naturality under pullback, by pulling back the relation and using the same module basis. With the hyperplane convention $u=-t$, the relation has the usual all-positive Chern coefficients; the alternating signs here correspond to the tautological line itself.

Now suppose $E={⨁}_i{L}_i$. The sections of a projective bundle $s_i:X\to Y$ choose the line $(L_i{)}_x\subset E_x$. They satisfy $s_i^{\ast }\mathcal{L}\cong L_i$, so $s_i^{\ast }t=e_i$ and pulling back the relation gives $f(e_i)=0$.

To obtain the full factorization over the possibly torsion-containing base ring, also use the associated open chartsThey contain the images of the sections $s_i$ and cover $Y$. Projection identifies $\mathcal{L}{|}_{V_i}$ with ${\pi }^{\ast }{L}_i{|}_{V_i}$, so $t-{\pi }^{\ast }{e}_i$ restricts to zero on $V_i$. The long exact sequence of the pair lifts this class to $H^2(Y,V_i)$. The relative cup product of the $k$ lifted classes lies inIts absolute image is ${\prod }_i(t-{\pi }^{\ast }{e}_i)$, so that product vanishes. The polynomial ${\prod }_i(T-e_i)$ is monic of degree $k$ and lies in the kernel of evaluation. Subtracting the monic generator $f(T)$ leaves degree below $k$, and module independence again makes the difference zero. ThereforeThe open-cover argument proves the factorization without a non-zero-divisor assumption on the differences $e_i-e_j$.

Integral groups for $M_4$. Put $r=n-1$. The space $M_n$ is the inversion mapping torus of a torus, fibred over $S^1$ with fiber $T^r$. The cohomology ring of a torus is the exterior algebra on $r$ degree-one generators. Inversion acts as $-1$ on each such generator, hence as $(-1{)}^q$ on $H^q(T^r;\mathbb{Z})\cong {\mathbb{Z}}^{\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{r}{q}\right)}$.

The Wang sequence therefore givesThe right-hand term is free, so this short exact sequence splits as a sequence of groups. In even fiber degree, $F^{\ast }-1=0$; in odd fiber degree it is multiplication by $-2$. For $r=3$ this computes the integral cohomology of an inversion mapping torus:The top torsion group is consistent with $M_4$ being nonorientable: inversion of its three-dimensional fiber reverses orientation.

Mod-two groups. Over ${\mathbb{F}}_2$, inversion acts as the identity on the fiber cohomology. The Wang sequence givesThuswith out-of-range binomial coefficients interpreted as zero. These are exactly the dimensions of the graded groups $H^{\ast }(T^n;{\mathbb{F}}_2)$.

The intersection pairing for $M_2$. The mapping torus of reflection of the circle is the Klein bottle. Let $a$ be the section loop through a fixed point of the reflection and $b$ a fiber circle. They form a basis of $H_1(M_2;{\mathbb{F}}_2)$. The section has a normal neighborhood homeomorphic to a Möbius band, so it is one-sided and a transverse displacement meets it once modulo two. The fiber is two-sided and can be displaced disjointly. The two loops meet once. The mod-two intersection pairing of the Klein bottle therefore has matrixTake the evaluation-dual basis $t,x\in H^1(M_2;{\mathbb{F}}_2)$, with $t(a)=1,t(b)=0$ and $x(a)=0,x(b)=1$. By Poincare duality, the cup product matrix in this dual basis is $Q^{-1}$, not $Q$:Writing $w$ for the nonzero top class gives $t^2=0$, $tx=w$ and $x^2=w$. Hence the cohomology ring isThese relations already force all degrees above two to vanish.

The ring for general $n$. For each of the $r$ fiber coordinates, projection induces $M_n\to M_2$. Pull back the classes above, calling the common base class $t$ and the fiber-coordinate classes $x_1,\dots ,x_r$. Naturality of the cup product gives $t^2=0$ and $x_i^2=t{x}_i$. The square-free products $x_I={\prod }_{i\in I}{x}_i$ restrict to the exterior algebra basis of the fiber cohomology. The Leray-Hirsch theorem then says that $x_I$ and $t{x}_I$ form an additive basis. This proves the full mod-two cohomology ring of an inversion mapping torus:For $n\ge 2$, $x_i^2=t{x}_i$ is nonzero by this basis description. In the cohomology ring of a torus every degree-one class squares to zero: the generators square to zero and the cross terms occur twice in characteristic two. The degree-one cup-square obstruction to ring isomorphism therefore proves that the rings are not isomorphic for any $n\ge 2$, despite their isomorphic graded groups. For $n=1$, both spaces are circles and the rings are isomorphic. Even if grading is forgotten, the rings differ for $n\ge 2$: every element of the torus ring has square either zero or one, whereas $x_i^2=t{x}_i$ is nonzero and is not the unit.

Integral cup products in $M_4$. To specify $H^{\ast }(M_4;\mathbb{Z})$ also as a ring, let $a\in H^1$ be the pullback of the positive generator of $H^1(S^1;\mathbb{Z})$. Let $\rho$ denote reduction modulo two and set ${\tau }_i=\hat{\beta }(x_i)$ using the integral Bockstein homomorphism. The degree-one Bockstein square identity gives $\rho {\tau }_i=x_i^2=t{x}_i$, so the ${\tau }_i$ are the three independent order-two classes in degree two. Choose free classes $b_{12},b_{13},b_{23}\in H^2$ which restrict to the corresponding two-fold fiber products and have reductions $\rho b_{ij}=x_i{x}_j$. Such choices exist: reduction in degree two is surjective because $H^3(M_4;\mathbb{Z})$ is free, and adding the ${\tau }_i$ removes any $t{x}_i$ terms from an initial lift.

The Wang sequence identifies $a{b}_{12},a{b}_{13},a{b}_{23}$ as a free basis of $H^3$. Let $\kappa$ generate $H^4\cong \mathbb{Z}/2$, with $\rho \kappa =t{x}_1{x}_2{x}_3$. Reduction in degree four is an isomorphism. The integral cup products in the four-dimensional inversion mapping torus are consequently determined byTogether with the unit, graded commutativity and vanishing above degree four, these give every product. For example, $\rho (b_{12}{b}_{13})=x_1^2{x}_2{x}_3=t{x}_1{x}_2{x}_3$, whereas $\rho (b_{12}^2)=t^2{x}_1{x}_2=0$. The products $a{\tau }_i$ vanish because they are torsion in the free group $H^3$.

Here is an intrinsic definition that also proves well-definedness. For a complex line bundle $L$, define its First Chern class to be the Euler class of its canonically oriented underlying real rank-two bundle: pull its integral Thom class back along the zero section after forgetting relative support. The complex orientation fixes the sign, so this construction makes no arbitrary choice of generator.

For a rank-$r>0$ complex vector bundle $E$, let $\pi :\mathbb{P}(E)\to X$ be its projective bundle of lines, let $S\subset {\pi }^{\ast }E$ be the tautological bundle, and put $h=-c_1(S)=c_1(S^{\ast })$. On every fiber ${\mathbb{CP}}^{r-1}$, $h$ is the positive degree-two generator. The Leray-Hirsch theorem says that if globally defined cohomology classes restrict to a free basis of the cohomology of every fiber, then multiplication by those classes identifies the cohomology of the total space with a free module over the base. Applied here, it givesThe finite trivializing cover in the question is sufficient for this application: the assertion holds on each trivializing open set by the Künneth theorem, since the fiber has finite free cohomology, and the Mayer–Vietoris sequence and the Five lemma glue it over the finite cover. The same local argument constructs the oriented Thom class used for line bundles. It does not require a choice of classifying map.

There are therefore unique classes $c_i(E)\in H^{2i}(X;\mathbb{Z})$ such thatDefine $c_0(E)=1$ and $c_i(E)=0$ for $i>r$. For rank zero the Total Chern class is $1$. This is the projective bundle definition of Chern classes. Existence and uniqueness follow by expressing $h^r$ in the displayed free module basis, with degrees determining each coefficient. The projective bundle and tautological bundle are intrinsic to $E$, and the line Thom class is uniquely fixed by orientation. Hence the resulting Chern classes do not depend on trivializations or other auxiliary choices. For a line bundle the relation is $h+c_1(E)=0$, agreeing with the original normalization. Pulling back this unique relation also proves naturality. This standard construction and the sum theorem are treated in Vector Bundles and K-Theory, Section 3.1.

The requested result is the Whitney sum formula for Chern classes:Here $c(E)=1+c_1(E)+\cdots +c_r(E)$, and the formula holds for complex vector bundles over a common base. In particular, a trivial bundle has total Chern class $1$.

Now take $B={\mathbb{CP}}^{n-1}$ and let $L\subset B\times {\mathbb{C}}^n$ be its tautological bundle. The standard Hermitian inner product gives the rank-$(n-1)$ complex bundle $Q=L^{\perp }$, with $L\oplus Q\cong {\underline{\mathbb{C}}}^n$. The orthogonal complex line flag manifold in the question is precisely $\mathbb{P}(Q)$: over a first line $\ell$, the second line is any line in ${\ell }^{\perp }$. Local orthonormal frames give this identification as a fiber bundle, with fiber ${\mathbb{CP}}^{n-2}$.

Let $x=c_1(L^{\ast })$ on $B$, also writing $x$ for its pullback to $\mathbb{P}(Q)$. By part 3(a), $H^{\ast }(B;\mathbb{Z})=\mathbb{Z}[x]/(x^n)$. The Whitney sum formula for Chern classes givesLet $S_2$ be the second tautological line on $\mathbb{P}(Q)$, and set $y=c_1(S_2^{\ast })$. Thus $x,y$ are exactly the pullbacks of the positive hyperplane classes from the two projective factors. The projective bundle definition of Chern classes for $Q$ givesTogether with $x^n=0$, this gives a surjective graded ring mapThere are no additional relations. Indeed the second relation is monic of degree $n-1$ in $y$, so polynomial division makes its source free over $\mathbb{Z}[x]/(x^n)$ on $1,y,\dots ,y^{n-2}$. The projective bundle formula for complex vector bundles gives exactly the same free basis on the target. The map sends each basis element to its corresponding basis element, and is therefore an isomorphism. ConsequentlyThis is the cohomology ring of the orthogonal complex line flag manifold. Its additive basis is $x^i{y}^j$ with $0\le i<n$, $0\le j<n-1$. As a symmetry check, multiplying the second relation by $y-x$ gives $y^n-x^n=0$, so $y^n=0$ as expected from the second projection. For $n=2$, every line has a unique orthogonal line, and the relations become $x^2=0$, $x+y=0$, giving the ring of ${\mathbb{CP}}^1$. If $n=1$, the space is empty and the second relation is $1=0$, so the printed formula still gives the zero cohomology ring.

For a rank-$r$ complex vector bundle, let $h=c_1(S^{\ast })$ for the tautological line $S$ on its projective bundle. The Leray-Hirsch theorem gives the free basis $1,h,\dots ,h^{r-1}$ over base cohomology. The uniquely determined coefficients in the displayed monic relation define the integral Chern classes. The line normalization uses the Euler class of the canonically oriented underlying real two-plane bundle, and uniqueness makes this definition intrinsic and natural under pullback. No choice of a trivializing cover or classifying map remains in the definition.